Route of the Mills in Marzan

Located opposite La Roche-Bernard, on the other bank of the Vilaine, the commune of Marzan stretches across a plateau overlooking the river. On these heights, exposed to sea winds, the remains of several windmills can still be seen. Streams have carved out the rock and flow at the bottom of the valleys. Where it was possible to dam them, water mills were built. The proposed route takes you from one to the other through varied and pleasant countryside.

Details

928292
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.93 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 146 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 144 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 70 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Marzan (56130)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.540606° / W 2.323789°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1021E, 1021SB, 1022ET, 1022OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

Park in the mini-market car park on Rue de la Fontaine.

(S/E) Walk up to the church and go around it on the left to take the lane on the right of its porch, on the other side of the square.
Turn left, then right, and follow the path until you pass the last houses. The tarmac road gives way to a wide path.
When you reach the road, take the path that heads north-west and goes into the woods.

(1) Before descending into the valley, note the remains of an old mill on the left of the path in a wooded area.
Continue downhill to the Marzan stream. The bottom of the valley is overgrown with willows, giving the place the appearance of a mangrove swamp when flooded. This is the upstream end of the mill's reservoir located downstream. The section of path leading to the road can be difficult to walk on when the stream is high.

(2) The path crosses the D774 departmental road near the old Craslon watermill, whose old dyke also allows the stream to be crossed by road. Take the path that climbs opposite and follow it until you reach a new road. Turn left towards Guesperdé and follow the small communal road to Rangorné.

(3) Turn right before the first houses onto the small path that runs between two hedges. After about 300 metres, cross a road and join the old Morbihan narrow-gauge railway line. Leave theGR®39to follow this track and continue straight on towards the mills of Le Bourg. Located at the highest point around Marzan, facing the ocean winds, these two mills have retained their proud appearance. At Kermestre, cross the road and continue along the path opposite, towards the mills. Follow the path that goes around them on the left and join Kertuy.

(4) When you reach the first houses, take the road that leads to the housing estate, and immediately take the path that runs between the houses. Cross the village and join the D774. At the crossroads, take the old railway line heading south-east. Follow this path straight ahead to Penhap (approx. 1 km), then follow the curve to Kerjulien. Come out onto the road and turn right under the expressway bridge.

(5) Follow the road for about 300 m, then turn left onto the path that descends into the wooded valley to the riverbank. Continue along the bank (the path is steep in places) to the left until you reach the Morbihan bridge. Pass under the bridge, continue along the riverbank for 150 metres, and climb the hill towards the hamlet of La Motte.

(6) Turn right after the house and follow the path to Rosquéran. Turn right at the road and follow it for 800 metres.

(7) Take the path on the right, descend into the valley and return to the village, going around the old slaughterhouse. At the church, turn left to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 44 m - Car park, Rue de la Fontaine
  2. 1 : km 0.94 - alt. 58 m - Old mill
  3. 2 : km 1.84 - alt. 11 m - Craslon Mill
  4. 3 : km 2.65 - alt. 39 m - Rangorné
  5. 4 : km 4.17 - alt. 66 m - Kertuy
  6. 5 : km 6.02 - alt. 41 m - Bridge under the RN 165 at Kerjulien
  7. 6 : km 7.54 - alt. 25 m - La Motte - Vilaine (fleuve)
  8. 7 : km 8.94 - alt. 45 m - Le Prateau
  9. S/E : km 9.92 - alt. 44 m - Car park, Rue de la Fontaine

Notes

All services and shops are available in the village of Marzan.

Worth a visit

The Morbihan light railway: part of the route follows the right-of-way of the old railway line known as the "Morbihan light railway". This local line linked Vannes to St Nazaire and crossed the old Roche-Bernard bridge (of which only the stone piers remain). Traces of this line remain on both sides of the Vilaine (old station buildings and level crossings, excavated earth and embankments in the hills and slopes, etc.), which you can enjoy looking for in the landscape.

Don't hesitate to push open the door of Marzan Church, it's well worth a visit.

And cross the cable-stayed bridge for a stop in the pretty town of La Roche-Bernard.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.9 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
pasaprèspas
pasaprèspas

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Not a very busy route, given the date I did it.
But it was a pleasant route, with beautiful views of the bridges over the Vilaine River.

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pierjac4477
pierjac4477

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, partly through the woods. We particularly enjoyed the steep path along the banks of the Vilaine. We had no difficulty following the route thanks to the GPS track, as it was not always easy to find our way in the forest.

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pascal44400
pascal44400

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely views along the Vilaine

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philrandovilaine
philrandovilaine

As a reminder, Visorando's suggested routes are generally created by hikers who design their own itineraries. It is therefore common for them not to be signposted. This route is an exception, as it has been suggested and signposted by the municipality of Marzan. The two reasons mentioned at the beginning of your message are therefore valid.
Best regards
PhilRV

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Chanlaur
Chanlaur

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Lack of attention? Unclear signposting? We lost track of the hike along the way. Our goal was to reach the Vilaine, but we didn't see it. Too bad, because the start of the route was promising.

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iojcg
iojcg

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An easy route thanks to the quality of the paths, but there are numerous ascents and descents. The route passes through varied landscapes. The most picturesque section, in my opinion, was along the Vilaine. A few photos at https://eu.zonerama.com/randovoyages/Pho...

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MG 91300
MG 91300

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The ivy hides the mills, but the route is very pleasant.
MG91300

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motoveve
motoveve

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route, but didn't see many mills, as they were well hidden.

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plump
plump

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk with stunning views of the Vilaine river and the bridges of La Roche Bernard.

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Emerlin37
Emerlin37

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant and easy route with a few wooded areas and a beautiful view of the Vilaine river three-quarters of the way along the route.
The route is well marked and maintained.

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fur
fur

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful, easy and enjoyable hike to follow on the map
Very beautiful parish-specific to Brittany view of the Vilaine river and its bridges

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AL156
AL156

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant route through the countryside around Marzan and along the Vilaine river (shared with the bridges route). Well signposted throughout.

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Moshe
Moshe

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Route extending from the bridge route, a beautiful hike that is not always easy to follow on the map.

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